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When weeknights get busy and the weather turns crisp, I crave a colorful skillet that basically cooks itself. This is that dinner. This one-skillet chicken and rice brings smoky Cajun spice, sweet peppers, and lemony herb butter all together in one pan. You will toast the rice for that nutty pilaf flavor and texture, then serve with a drizzle of delicious herby garlic butter. It’s simple, comforting, and always a crowd-pleaser.
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- One pan, minimal clean up; pantry staples with fresh lemon and herbs
- Deliciously toasted pilaf texture and flavor
- The herby brown butter adds a restaurant-like feel
Key Ingredients and Notes
- Chicken (breasts or thighs) chicken thighs will stay juicier, but chicken breasts work too and will be best if seared prior to cooking in the rice
- Cajun Seasoning: Check for the amount of salt in your seasoning. If yours is extra salty, you can use low-sodium broth and add more salt at the end to balance that out
- Rice: I use long-grain white rice like jasmine rice
- Pasta: Broken strands of angel hair pasta works or orzo rice
- Louisiana Notes: onion, celery and bell pepper diced evenly add that cajun flavor
The inspiration
I’ve always loved a skillet dinner, but when the days get really busy, that’s when I really count on skillet recipes. And this one has quickly become a new favorite.
This doesn’t surprise me, it has all of the flavors my family loves most. Just about anything with rice and they’re sold on in seconds, so I knew this would be a hit.
The way this was created reminded me of the way my dad used to cook when I was a kid. He’d pull out the contents of the fridge and just start making dinner with what we had. He’d throw in a little of this and a little bit of that.
I only had a few things on hand and I knew that Creighton wanted something with a southern flair. Lots of seasoning, lemon, peppers, and rice.
Thankfully, I always have a cabinet full of spices, lemons, tons of peppers, and rice. I also knew there was chicken was in the freezer. So from there, I really did just throw everything into a skillet. The second all the yummy seasonings hit the chicken, I knew it had potential.
Step by Step
- Sear the chicken: Everything starts with the chicken, which is southern-inspired and seasoned simply with my homemade cajun seasoning. Simply chicken, olive oil, and seasonings, all pan-seared in a skillet and then finished with lemon and butter.
2. Cook the pilaf-style rice: Once the chicken has been seared, I toss in the rice and spaghetti. Using a combination of broken pasta and rice makes this almost more like a Rice-A-Roni or rice pilaf bake, it’s such a nice addition. And perfect if you have an almost empty box of pasta just sitting in the pantry waiting to be used.
Allow the rice and pasta to get a little toasted. You want things to be smelling just a little nutty at this point.
3. Add the onions, bell peppers, and chicken broth, then slide the chicken in. Bring everything to a boil and allow the rice to simmer before transferring the entire skillet to the oven to finish cooking. As the dish cooks in the oven, you’ll find that some of the rice and pasta on top get a nice little crisp. Which we think is pretty delicious!
Finish it up
Add Herby Butter: This dish is already so flavorful, but I wanted to elevate it further with another saucy element. So I browned a little butter with garlic and fresh herbs to spoon over the warm chicken and rice.
Best idea. I know it doesn’t seem like much to add a small drizzle of herby butter, but it really finishes the dish so nicely. The rice especially…so delicious with some nutty herby garlic butter.
What’s great about this one-skillet chicken rice bake is that it incorporates a variety of flavors and textures. Yet it’s all made simply in ONE skillet, using a lot of pantry staples. Have to love that!
This is already in my rotation of “back pocket” recipes. It’s just so good, and it’s different, which is really nice! Creighton gave it a double thumbs-up, so hey, it’s got that going for it too!
Yes! Sear until the skin is deeply golden then finish the cooking while the chicken is in the rice.
With a wooden spatula, keep the rice moving over medium heat and add a drizzle of oil if the pan looks dry. Make sure to add in the veggies to absorb some of the heat as well.
Yes! Finish with olive oil, lemon, and herbs for brightness. You could also use ghee or a good dairy-free butter.
Looking for other skillet dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce.
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Lastly, if you make this One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1/2 cup dry broken spaghetti or angel hair pasta
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh tenders herbs, cilantro + parsley
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. In a large oven-safe skillet, combine the olive oil, chicken, and cajun seasoning, toss to coat. Set the skillet over high heat. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add 1 tablespoon of butter and lemon slices. Remove everything from the skillet.3. Add the rice and pasta. Cook until the rice is toasted, about 1 minute. Add the onion and peppers and continue to cook another 3-4 minutes, then pour in 3 cups broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. 4. Slide the chicken, lemon slices, and any juices left on the plate back into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover the skillet and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked into the rice, but not all of it. If needed add more broth. Bake, uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.5. Meanwhile, melt together 5 tablespoons butter, the garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes. Cook until the butter is browning. Stir in the mixed herbs. 6. Serve the chicken and rice drizzled with garlic butter and topped with fresh herbs.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This was so good. I made it for some friends and everyone loved it. There wasn’t even a grain of rice left in the pan!
Hey there,
Thanks for your review and trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! Have the best Thursday! ?xTieghan
My family went nuts over this. The chicken skin comes out almost fried, and with the lemon and cajun seasoning, the whole combination is packed with flavor. Can’t wait to make it again!
Hi Ann,
Happy Monday!! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out and sharing your review:)
I meant to say that it’s like it was the chicken had skin — which was beautifully fried!
Thanks again Ann!
Could I use a whole boneless aldi chicken for this recipe?
Hi Estelle,
Sure, I don’t see why not! I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xx
Absolutely delicous. Awesome flavour. Mediterranean ahead. Made it up till the point before I put it on the oven. Added a bit more broth and put it in the oven for 15 min5on 220. Was delicious
Hey Lisa,
Amazing!! I am thrilled that this dish was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! xTieghan
I loved this one and even my picky 11 year old ate the chicken with the herbs on it. If you have meat eaters, expect to make more chicken then recipe calls for. I like the amount of spice to it as well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hey Mandy,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so glad it was a winner:) Have the best week! xx
My family loves this and I love how easy it is to make. Its pretty fool proof. I make it fairly often and usually double the amount of chicken because it makes excellent leftovers and there’s always way more rice left then chicken.
Hey Lindsay,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks for sharing your review and making this recipe so often, I am so glad it is always a winner! xxTieghan
is a standard size 10 inch cast iron large enough for this?
Hey Nicole,
Yes, a 10 inch skillet will work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Awesome!
Love your recipes. They are a step above others on the web.
Hi Amanda,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend!☀️ xx
Made this for dinner and it was absolutely delicious and super easy! Will make this again!
Hi Nicole,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try and your comment, love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so delicious! Can’t believe how easy it was to make as well. My family loved it and I will definitely make this again!
Hey Lauren,
Thanks so much for your comment! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I made this last night…OMG so good. I picked out the lemon slices before service so I didn’t get any bitterness. The garlic/herb butter sauce was delish as well! I added more Cajun seasoning the the rice mixture, just to amp it up a little. This recipe will go into my monthly rotation.
Hey Ericka,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xT
So flavorful and delicious! Didn’t take too long to make, and was very easy! Definitely keeping this recipe for the future!
Hi Victoria,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
Love this recipe. A little heat. So delicious. Thank you for posting.
I just bought your new cookbook and gave it as a gift. Is this recipe in the book.
Thanks again!
Hi Nancy,
Thanks so much for your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Thanks for purchasing the cookbook, all of the recipes in the cookbooks are exclusive to the books:) This recipe is only on the blog. xTieghan
Your one skillet recipes GIVE ME LIFE! Husband loves the minimal dishes too as I tend to cook with every pot/utensil in kitchen. This one is understatedly amazing and delicious. Had everything on hand too which is an added plus. The flavors in this dish and the crust on the Cajun chicken *chefs kiss*. You have no idea how much you do for our table!
Oh, also have to add….the broken pasta had me in my feelings bringing me back to my rice-a-roni childhood. Might have to add broken pasta to more of my rice dishes now…
LOL right?! I love it!
Hi Christina,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
New chef here, just moved into my first apartment. Here to say that this is delicious! So easy to make and one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever cooked. Didn’t need to pick up a ton of new ingredients either 🙂
Hey Elizabeth,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan